Medicine has traditionally been well protected prior to delivery to the end user in order to assure a high quality product. Medicine containers or vials for capsules or pills typically contain a clean packing material, such as cotton, to prevent pills from breakage during transit. More recently, a foil seal has been added which must be broken to gain access to pills, to assure customers that pills were not tampered with if the seal is unbroken. Reclosable cap also seals the vial from dirt or other airborne contamination after the broken foil and packing are disposed of.
However, the breaking of the seal and removal of the cotton packing materials can constitute a very difficult task for persons lacking dexterity--the elderly and those suffering from rhumatoid arthristis. The problem has been addressed in the past, but with limited success.
The prior art to which this invention relates includes: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,126,245; 2,857,068; 2,091,212; and 2,925,188. Other somewhat related prior art includes: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,298,555; 3,080,991; and 2,776,067. These patents show some of the elements of this invention. However, the devices described and suggested in the above-mentioned patents do not provide the elements of this invention in a manner which achieves the combined foil rupture, and removal of foil and packing in a single action.
Some of the cited prior art provides flexible tear strings and/or tabs to easily open foil seals. String is placed or glued or heat sealed to the exterior of the foil in a shape to completely or partially remove the foil. This requires cutting the string to length, knotting or attaching a tap if included, preforming string and gluing preformed string onto foil without damaging foil. Tab, if provided, must protrude beyond foil surface. None of the cited prior art provides any connection between foil and packing.
Other cited prior art provides straps, jaws, perforated washers, and apertured discs to attach to the packing. These devices are attached to the bottle cap or are directly pulled or accessible upon removal of cap. Devices also prevent migration of packing during transit. Displacement of cap or device then removes packing. None of these cited prior art would function with a foil seal.
Therefore, in the past, rupture of foil seal, removal of foil seal, and removal of packing have typically required two or three separate actions. Prior art teaches combining rupture and removal of foil, but requires a complex process of attaching a tear string and tab, while still leaving the remaining task of packing removal prior to accessing pills.